How to sew Bandana Bibs - free pattern & instructions

Posted by Maaike van Besien on 04 Sep, 2015

Bandana bibs are so cool I wish I had heard of them when my babies were little.

Fortunately, my kids have stopped drooling by now, but it was really bad at the time! My mum gave me a stack of bibs she had made back in the days I was a baby, but they were a bit dated to say the least so I rarely used them. Instead, I just changed the kids tops a few times a day, it seems so silly now.

If only I had picked up sewing again a little sooner, as these bandana bibs are super easy to make. It is a great project for a beginner and they do not take much time at all. And if you don't have any drooling bundles of joy, they still make great baby gifts!

I used a woven cotton for the front, and experimented with different materials for the back, the simple knits worked the best.

So if you have never made a bandana bib before, here is how you make them:

1. Pick 2 matching fabrics, ideally one with a bit of absorbency. Wash and dry the fabrics the way you would treat the finished bibs, to make sure they are pre-shrunk.

2. Print the pattern piece (it is designed to fit on A4) and cut it out. Fold your fabric in half, put the pattern on top, line up the fold arrows with the fabric fold and cut around it. The fabric direction is not critical here.Note: I rounded off the corners at the end of the bib, but if you are not comfortable with sewing in curves, you can stick to the straight edges.

3. Cut a second piece. This can be in a contrasting fabric, or whatever you like.

4. Iron the pieces, put them right sides facing each other and pin together. Before stitching, mark where you will leave a small opening of about 5cm (2 inches), I do this by putting my pins across the sewing direction. (see yellow pins)

5. Sew the two pieces together at about 7mm from the edge, or about half the width of your sewing machine foot. Make sure not to close the opening. I tend to start from the edge, at the start of the opening, sew at 90 degrees from the edge for 7mm, and then turn my piece (while leaving your needle down into the fabric) and then stitch all the way around. This extra stitching (see red lines) makes it easier to turn the fabric right side out without ripping the stitching open.

6. Trim the corners before turning the bib right side out through the opening. Use a blunt stick to gently push the corners out. Press the bib nice and flat, while also using the iron to turn the edges in at the opening.

7. Top stitch a few millimeters from the edge. This will close the opening.

8. Add the press studs. When you buy a set, it comes with a little tool to help you hammer them in. If you plan on making a lot of these bibs, I would recommend getting the pliers as the little hammer tool was a little cumbersome, and the husband had to be called in to help! It seems hammering is not part of my skill set.